Carole Walker of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association says you don't need a special insurance plan to protect yourself from the damage done to your property. Typical homeowners' insurance will cover your house and a comprehensive car insurance plan will cover your car from wind damage.
Walker also noted that if your neighbor's tree falls on your house, your own homeowners' insurance would cover it, not your neighbor's.
If you see that your property has been damaged, call your isurance agent immediately and be prepared to give them a detailed description of what happened. Once a claims adjuster comes to assess the situation, be sure you have pictures of the damage to present.
If you do file a claim for major wind damage but decide to make the minor damage repairs on your own, hang on to receipts for those repairs as the expenses can be reimbursed.
If the damage you experience from a windstorm requires only minor maintenance, consider paying for that out of pocket, Walker says.
Many people don't realize they have wind damage until months later, when shingles on their roofs start coming loose. Walker advises that even if you think you might have damage but aren't sure, you should call a claims adjuster to come look at it for you.
Alexis Bridenbaugh contributed to this report.
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